- Restaurants |
- Nightlife |
- Shopping |
- Coffee & Tea |
- All
Hanlan's Point
- Good for Kids:
- No
10 reviews for Hanlan's Point
10 reviews in English
-
Review from Bobby W.
Toronto, ON
1/31/2012
hanlan's is a great place to visit. some of the best sand (at the north end) and you can find your own spot to relax.
sure there are characters that walk up and down.....but they are harmless.
and a good place to people watch, regardless of your gender... -
Review from Andre F.
Toronto, ON
5/21/2012
Great beach, love the clothing optional feature. However, I am now in a state that I find it unpleasant to go there due to the noise from people that play their music for the entire beach and have no respect for anybody else that would like to be able to enjoy a quieter space in the city, listening to the birds, wind and water crashing against the shore.
There are several boats that anchor themselves close to the beach and blast their sound system to a level that resonates across the entire beach. Not everyone on the beach wants to listen to their music. The boaters that play their music so loud have no sense of respect for others on the beach that don't want to listen to the thumping noise.
Other young groups hang out on the beach doing the same, blasting their music players amplified with speakers that go well beyond their immediate group and forcing others to listen to not only their thumping music but the group members yelling to be heard over the loud music.
I was at the beach today and I couldn't find a quiet spot on the beach anywhere along the beach. No matter where I went, I was presented with thumping noise coming from multiple directions. Two boats had their music loud and then they eventually stopped, only to be taken over by not one, not two, but three groups in my near vicinity blaring their music and making it impossible for me to enjoy a quiet time at the beach. The music level was unreasonable. The people on the beach going to enjoy the sun and not intending to go to a rave party are left to put up with this annoying thumping sound.
I politely asked one group to turn down their music only to be insulted and as soon as I got back to my towel with my small group, they proceeded to increase the volume. Not everyone on the beach is rude as some of these people are however, I have faced the same situation two times last year and with the exact same scenario. I only went to Hanlan's Point twice last year as a direct result of my negative experience of the noisy music so having had two out of two times with unreasonable loud music isn't very good odds of having a chance to experience the beach in a positive way.
The only time I've been able to enjoy that beach is during a weekday when I had a day off, there are much fewer people on the beach than on weekends and from my experience, it's usually quiet. I'm one of the people in the city that has to work for a living and unfortunately, going there during the weekday isn't a typical option for me.
It's too bad, however, I am very discouraged about the beach, I like clothing option beaches. It's the only one in the city although being there with rude and noisy groups as I have experienced there more than once is turning me totally off from going there.
I have traveled to various parts of the world with some absolutely fantastic beaches, many clothing optional. Hanlan's point rates amongst the worst beaches that I have experienced. It might be the best (the only clothing optional beach) that Toronto has to offer although my rating is low as a direct consequence of the rudeness of some of the people that frequent it. Unfortunately, it's only a few that spoil the bunch, -
Review from Meena A.
6/26/2011 ROTD 12/27/2011
This is the only beach I am ever going to. Ever Again.
Despite my Pakistani skin, I go sunning at least three times a week in the summer. I am so sick of all the beaches in the GTA: babies (they're adorable but they smell and they puke and they cry), annoying teenagers blasting their music (not everyone wants to listen to every single song by Kanye West) and families (I try to forget about mine, don't remind me of yours).
I never go to the beach on weekends or after work hours. But even so, the aforementioned allergens follow me and my bikini.
Hanlan's point! My sojourn!
There is always enough room for me to spread out. No squishing. No babies. No kids. No tan lines.
Prudes beware: there are naked middle aged men with boners walking around. They may attempt to wheel you. Just mention that your boyfriend has a ten inch penis - you should be fine.
Bring:
-coolers and j's (does anyone at this beach care? you can bet your sunburnt buns they don't!)
-condoms (there may be couples surreptitiously exploring each other's hoo-haahs in the bushes). Don't worry, they will politely stop while you walk by
-your naked body (with all of its imperfections - you don't have to be an aqua di jio model to strut your cellulite thighs here)
Hmmmm... on further reflection, my "to bring" list resembles closely my "memorable Saturdays" list. Further evidence of Hanlan's awesomeness.Listed in: For the Kind at Heart, High Times
-
Review from John F.
North York, ON
8/3/2011
The only "official" nude beach in Toronto and possibly in Canada. Low key, rocky (especially the water - watch your feet), pleasant, can get some biting bug infestation.
Large gay contingent but lots of straight people too. I am not sure why the women reviewers here like ogling naked gay men - seems like a waste of time fantasizing about what is not available (I don't ogle straight men). -
Review from Sonita B.
Scarborough, ON
1/15/2012
I can understand why some males are not a fan, there are alot of gay males. (who cares) Its not a place to get laid and there are not alot of sexy woman rolling in the sand naked. Its just something different Toronto offers us. And i'm willing to take it as it is.
But it is a Nude beach and everyone seems more or less friendly and confident. The sand was clean for Toronto standards.
-Bring a cooler of drinks and food.
-your patience for the ferry, loosen up its a beautiful ride
-a bike (its a hike to the beach from the ferry)
-Open mind
A nice touch would be if they had volleyball nets:(
Enjoy! -
Review from Elaine K.
Quite possibly the best beach in Toronto.
The good:
- Almost zero kids
- No one cares if you are having a tasty beverage of the non-non-alcoholic variety
- Quiet, no annoying teenagers
- Since this place is mostly frequented by gay men, most of the men here are pretty nice to look at
The bad:
- This is clothing optional, which is in and of itself not the bad part. For the first 15 minutes, you're not quite sure where to direct your eyes, which is awkward.
- Many naked, middle-aged men walking around aimlessly. We dubbed one "Crazy Jesus."
- The sand wasn't so great in a lot of spots, really muddy even though it hasn't rained in about a week or so.
- Getting through the crazy lineup to buy ferry tickets absolutely sucks. Note: There are two lines: a huge line that goes to the automated machines, and a much shorter line (past this line) that goes to the cash only ticket booths.
- Getting there through the TTC is also a nightmare, the streetcars are packed to the gills on the weekends. Not sure what the best way to get there is, seeing as it might be difficult to maneuver your bike around the throngs.
The hubster and I decided to spend a nice day at the beach and we did just that. It was an incredibly pleasant day and we were left alone for the most part (later on in the afternoon, a nice young man kept coming over and giving us food, which in terms of intrusion, is possibly the least annoying type). Both of us were amazed by how quiet and civilized it was. All you could hear were the waves and the quiet murmurs of other beach goers. No loud radios, nobody carelessly throwing footballs or frisbees around. It's great for people watching (re: wandering middle-aged men, and weird lonely posing guy) as long as you're not (caught) staring. I found it nice that ogling in my direction was at a minimum, possibly due to the high concentration of gay men. The hubster didn't feel overly ogled either. I think that most of the crowd was there to enjoy the beach and leave everyone else the hell alone.
We'll definitely be back, though we might consider biking there next time to avoid the craziness of the TTC. -
Review from Kevin F.
Toronto, ON
8/2/2010
I've only recently heard about Hanlan's beach. After all the fuss I decided to check it out over the long weekend. From the moment I arrived at the fairy station the experience was doomed to fail.
The ferry's for Toronto Island are poorly organized and chaotic. There were only 2 machines for automated tickets to the island, one being broken. There is no proper signage and no staff on site, so I was left waiting in the line for an automated ticket for almost 20 minutes. Luckily, a born again Christian was passing out prayers as well as Ferry information. He directed me to the 'cash-only line' to get my ticket and I was past the line ups within 10 minutes.
I reached the island and made my 15 minute walk to the "beach". Hanlan's beach is clothing optional and it should be outlawed. Everyone that was naked shouldn't be. I saw so many pepperoni sized nipples and extra small penis' that is was truly off putting. If you got it flaunt it but if you don't have some shame, sweet Jesus!
I had always assumed any body of water near Toronto was heavily polluted but everyone tried to dispel my beliefs saying it was extremely safe and considered one of the best city beaches in North America. When I went into the water I could only assume that every other beach in North America is attached to a Nuclear dumping site in order for Toronto to win that title. The water has an algae/toxic look. I was afraid to go beyond waist level for fear of the water entering my mouth or mutating me in some form, like a third nipple.
It took nearly an hour to get to the beach, but I spent a total of 10 minutes at the beach. I quickly packed up my stuff and headed home, hearing a passerby say "should have brought booze". I completely agreed with that comment. If I ventured out to this beach I would stock pile booze and pack some food. The closest snack bar is 15 minutes away and offers overpriced $5 hot dogs served by an extremely rude woman.
This adventure was an epic fail. I do not recommend this beach, unless you bring booze. Loads and loads of booze, and maybe a Hazmat suit. -
Review from Dave B.
NORTH YORK, ON
8/3/2010
Hanlan's Point Beach is a great place to relax in the sun and enjoy the summer.
Its too bad the folks posting here didn't have a good time.
I only recently visited Hanlan's Point Beach too -- and had a GREAT time on the sand and in the water. I'd read about it for a while now but never seemed to find the time to go down and visit. The weather has been great this summer, so I made the time. The beach is a Blue Flag beach and meets above guideline requirements for cleanliness, safety and facilities.
The Ferry Terminal is a bit of an antiquated facility that needs upgrading, but even so its easy to access the ferries and it does the job - all-be-it without any glitz. With the exception of washrooms, there isn't anything to be had in the open air terminal as you wait for the ferry.
When I went both new auto-pay terminals were open as well as 5 separate lines (some cash only). The lines moved fast. I only waited in line for 3min to get my ticket. Waited about 20min (because of poor planning on my part) for the ferry to Hanlan's Point. If you wanna do the longer walk, you could easily walk or ride your bicycle from Centre Island over to Hanlan's point and not have to wait very long at all for the more frequent Centre Island Ferry.
And here's a tip. If you've never gone to the islands - do some RESEARCH on the internet before you go so you know the schedule and where to find things on the islands.
Hanlan's Point Beach has a great view of the city and while I was there plenty of boats were anchored off the beach. It made for a great fun crowd of people. And there we lots and lots of people on the beach the day (Saturday) I visited.
The best feature of Hanlan's Point Beach is that it is clothing optional. It's a great asset to the city and I can assure you attracts quite a few tourists to Toronto each summer. It mostly attracts a large gay male crowd and most days there is a pretty even split between guys in suits and guys going naked. If you want to be judgemental about the way other people look then its not the place for you. Not everyone is a GQ model but that doesn't mean you can't enjoy the sun and water nude in my opinion. What I find off putting are the gawkers who come there to stare and making cheesy remarks about those of us who are trying to enjoy a day in the sun. And trust me, if you look around you'll see some pretty attractive people naked too!
Most days the water is great for swimming - but again, you gotta check the net before you go to make sure that the beach has been given the okay for swimming. So far this year I've only seen one day that it wasn't safe to swim - that is pretty damn good for Lake Ontario. And just keep in mind, this is Lake Ontario, not Cuba. Not all beaches have perfect white sand and crystal clear water - but that doesn't mean its unsafe. That algae and plant life you see is normal for lakes in Ontario. And what is great is that the beach is sandy all the way into the water and the water isn't that deep (~1 meter for at least 8-10 meters out) which makes it great for cooling off and splashing around. The water tends to be a bit rough on windy days.
Like any trip to the beach pack well before you leave home - bring along a sunscreen, towel, drinks, food and beach toys. There are showers and drinking water, but not much else unless you want to make the long walk to Centre Island's concession stands.
My adventure out to Hanlan's Point Beach was great - and I would highly recommend that anyone with an open mind give it a try. -
Review from Anna V.
Toronto, ON
11/5/2008 3 photos
When you go to the island, you can take one of three ferries: Wards, Centre and Hanlan's Point. Hanlan's point is the only ferry that takes cars to the island, which are mostly school busses and Toronto park's vans. This is also the ferry the V-fest and other festivals have to use. There is also a great beach at Hanlan's Point that is both clothing optional and open to the public. What does that mean? Well first off, that means there aren't a lot of people there and that there are almost no kids, but it also means fat hairy guys will cruise you and your friends.
-
Review from Zoe G.
NORTH YORK, ON
8/18/2010
hands down the best (i.e only good) beach in Toronto. the fact that it is clothing optional means that it doesn't ever get too crowded, even on long weekends, and you can BYOB, as long as you're discreet about it and respectful of other beach-goers. personally, i also love the crowd, and find it refreshing to see people of all shapes and sizes being comfortable and enjoying their nudity, even if they don't look like a model.
the beach is sandy and clean and you won't find too many kids around.
some tips:
-when taking the ferry get on the Hanlan's point Ferry, otherwise it will be a long walk.
-bring your bike. the ferry is totally accessible, plus the ride is very nice and fairly short, only about 5 minutes.
-pack food and water
-don't take pictures. just don't. you may think it's cool and you look really cute in your new bikini, but the naked guy caught in the background is not amused.
-unfortunately, some men never got the memo that trying to pick up girls at the nude beach is unwelcomed and inappropriate. so guys: leave the girls alone. most of us come to the beach to relax and enjoy the sun and water. we don't want to see your boner, we don't care that you work for a "model agency", if we wanted to play volleyball we would have approached you, and if i'm reading a book and listening to my iPod, it's not because i'm trying to be social.
girls: having a male present makes for a good deterrent against creeps.
-not everyone likes your music. keep it down or wear headphones.
-respect people's space and privacy. as great as being nude on the beach is, it's also a very vulnerable position. some people are very friendly and like to talk to their fellow beach goers while some just want to be left alone and this should be respected.
have a fun day in the sun!
